DR. SCHLIEMANN’S ACCOUNT.
“Among the most interesting objects of this sepulchre I reckon the magnificently ornamented golden buttons. Twelve are in form of a cross, and one of them is two and one-fifth inches large, and three inches long; three are somewhat smaller, and the remaining eight are of a still less size. Of splendidly ornamented round gold buttons were found, in all, two hundred and sixteen, two of which are two inches in diameter, seven are of the size of a five franc piece, and two hundred and seven are still smaller. All these buttons, the lower part of which consists of a bone button in form of our shirt buttons, must have served on the clothes of the deceased, whereas all which show only a flat piece of bone or wood, have evidently served to decorate the sheaths of swords, lances, etc., to which they had been soldered with tin, or otherwise fastened. There were in all found in the tomb, twenty-five two-edged bronze swords, sixteen of which are in a perfect state of conservation; four of them had handles plated with gold and richly ornamented. There were also found with the swords, five large handle-buttons, four of which are of alabaster, and one of wood; all of them are ornamented with golden nails. Further, two golden shoulder belts, which were worn on the shoulder across the breast; both are four feet long, and one and three-fifths inches broad. There were further found two large girdle-belts ornamented with circles and flowers; one of them is composed of two pieces. There was also found a part of a similar belt, and a child’s golden girdle-belt, only one foot four inches long, and two and one-fifth inches broad. Further, a splendidly ornamented golden handle, probably of a scepter. It terminates in a dragon’s head, whose scales seem to have been imitated by square pieces of rock crystal, which are inlaid like mosaic. This is an object of marvelous beauty, of which Homer would have said, ‘A wonder to look upon.’ There were also found seven large and one small golden diadems—one of the former is ornamented with golden leaves. All of them show splendid ornaments of circles and spiral lines. Further, four golden ornaments of the greaves, almost in form of a bracelet: one comb of bone, in a large handle, or casing of gold, of the usual form, as ladies wear it; one enormous, most magnificently-ornamented, massive, gold bracelet, weighing three hundred and sixty grammes. In the center of the ornamentation of this bracelet is soldered a separate piece of gold, representing the sun with his rays. The size of this bracelet is so enormous that the person who has worn it must have had gigantic arms. Quite in opposition to the size of the bracelet are two massive golden seal rings, the opening of which is so small that they would only fit a child of ten years. I, therefore, suppose that they may have been used as seals only. One of the seals represents two warriors on a two-wheeled chariot with two horses, which seem to run at full gallop; one of the warriors is holding a bow in his hand, and has just shot an arrow at a stag. The stag is wounded, and in anguish turns his head. The other seal ring represents a warrior who has just vanquished his three enemies, and is in the act of giving, with his uplifted sword, a last blow to one of them, wounded, and kneeling before him on one knee; the latter tries to parry the blow with his uplifted hands and with a lance, which he holds in his right, and seems to throw at his opponent. Another seems to be mortally wounded, for he lies on the ground, leaning on both his hands. The third, who alone of all the four warriors has a helmet with a crest on his head, is flying under the cover of an enormous shield which reaches from his neck to his heels; but still he turns his head towards his victorious enemy, and is in the act of throwing a lance at him. The anatomy of all the men is so well observed, their posture is so faithful to nature, and everything is executed with so much art, that when I brought to light these rings, I involuntarily exclaimed: ‘The author of the ‘Iliad’ and the ‘Odyssey’ can only have been born and educated in a civilization which could produce such wonders. Only a poet who had master-pieces of art like these continually before his eyes could compose those divine poems.’
WONDERFUL GEMS.
“At the head of one of the bodies was found a large and heavy golden helmet, but it had been much crushed, and had become nearly flat under the ponderous weight which pressed upon it. In its present state, it is difficult to describe it. On its forepart, the openings for the eyes and mouth, as also a protuberance ornamented with small stars, are distinctly visible, as also on the top of the helmet, the tube for the crest. The back part is beautifully ornamented with an imitation of the hair. The face of the same body was covered with one of the golden masks which we frequently met with. It seems to have been the custom with the ancient Greeks, to cover the faces of their beloved dead, with masks of gold which exactly represent the outline of the features; probably they did so to preserve the face. We find this custom back in the wooden masks of the Egyptian mummies. The breast and sides were covered by a one-foot eight-inch long, and one-foot broad, thick plate of gold, which was no doubt intended to represent the coat of mail. There were further found one hundred leaves of gold, either of circular or of cross-like form, with impressed ornamentation, consisting either of spiral lines, or of circles. Further, three very heavy golden breast-pins, of which the one is five and one-half, the other five, and the third four and one-half inches long. The last is crowned with a ram, the two others with an ornament in shape of a helmet, and the heads of all the three breast-pins are perforated, probably to put in a flower. There were further found two masterly ornamental objects of massive gold in the form of crosses; also a large golden vase weighing one and seven-eighths kilogrammes: it has two handles, a large foot, and ornamented with three upper and two lower parallel lines, between which is a row of fourteen stars; further, a large golden vase with one handle, and an ornamentation representing seven beautiful flowers; another golden vase with two handles; further, a splendid little golden œhœ, or wine can, with an ornamentation of spiral lines. Further, six golden drinking cups, one of which is a drinking cup with two handles, on each of which is a pigeon, each of the two handles being joined to the foot by two separate golden blades. This goblet reminds us of Nestor’s goblet, which was also ornamented with pigeons (see ‘Iliad,’ XI, 632, 635). One of the other goblets is ornamented with parallel flutings. There were further found two small golden vessels; also, eight silver vases, three of which are admirably conserved; one of the other has its bottom and the mouth of bronze; below its bottom were found one hundred of the aforesaid golden buttons. I further found, in this tomb, thirteen large bronze vessels. This kind of vessel was in high esteem in the heroic age, and we see them continually mentioned by Homer as prizes in the games. I suppose that to each hero were given in the grave the goblets and other objects which were dear to him in his lifetime, having been won by him in the games, or having been given to him by his host as a pledge of hospitality and friendship. There was also found a large quantity of small perforated amber balls of necklaces, and a bronze or copper fork with three teeth, which had probably served on the funeral pyres. There were further found thirty-five arrow heads of obsidian. Nothing could give a better idea of the great antiquity of these tombs than these stone arrow-heads, for the ‘Iliad’ seems to know only arrow-heads of bronze (e.g., ‘Iliad,’ XIII, 650 and 662). Probably there had also been deposited bows and quivers in the tomb, but they would have been of wood, and would have rotted away. To my greatest regret, among thousands of gold ornaments, there is not even a single sign resembling writing, and it therefore appears certain that the sepulchres belong to an epoch which preceded the introduction of the Phœnician alphabet. Had the latter been known, the Mycenæan goldsmiths, whose continual efforts appear to have been directed to the invention of a new ornamentation, would have been very ambitious to show the novelty of the alphabet. A second proof of the immense antiquity of these tombs, is the entire absence of any vestige of either iron or glass, or of any pottery made on the potter’s wheel. But the hand-made pottery had reached a high degree of perfection, such as has never been attained here in later times by the pottery made on the wheel.”
The doctor, enthusiastic as he is with his new discoveries, had the mortal remains of the immortal heroes taken from their graves, and the great departed ones received the unprecedented honor to have their portraits painted by an artist of our day. Of course, the golden mask was used for that purpose.
The greatest scientific importance of the discoveries at Mycenæ, lies in the fact that we now make acquaintance with a kind of art which very nearly approaches oriental representation and oriental technique. It can easily be seen, from the works of art found by the excavations, that the artists of that remote time did not care so much to give true representations of real existing things, but to procure to dead things, as much as possible, a living, graceful form.
GRECIAN ART IN MYCENÆ.
Among the treasures, a golden plate was found, upon which Heracles is engraved, struggling with a lion. This last engraving, above all others, may serve as a scientific guide, through the labyrinth of the treasures of Mycenæ. The struggles of Heracles with the monsters of the earth, are the property of Grecian tradition; hence, we have not to deal with Asiatic or India-European art, but with real, purely Grecian art.
The most precious objects found at Mycenæ, are collected at Athens, with those formerly found by the doctor among the treasures of Priamus, and are preserved in the vaults of an Ionian bank.
It is proper that we should allude to Dr. Schliemann’s heroic wife, of whom, as his most valuable and sympathetic assistant in his labors, he speaks, as is most fitting, in words which constitute her highest eulogy. The story of their union reads like a romance. “Mrs. Schliemann is the only woman in Greece who knows the Odyssey by heart.” The Dr. once said, before a party of Athenians, that he would marry the first lady who could recite the Odyssey. A fair Greek girl appeared one day, unintroduced, and asking if the promise was genuine, recited Homer, and secured her home. She also secured a wife’s share of $1,000,000. The two have been faithfully burrowing among its ruins themselves, and as will be seen from the portrait, she is proud of the accomplishments of her husband, and wears one of the trophies of his glory, the head apparel of queen Helena, whose elopement with Paris, the son of Priamus, caused the Trojan war.